Engine starter



V.` BENDIX ENGINE STARTER Nov. 17, 1925- Filed April e, 192`1 Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATI-:s

PATENT. OFFICE.

VINCENT nnNnIx, oF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

. ENGINE STARTER.

Application led April 6,

To 'all whom. t may concern.'

'Be it. known that I, VINCENT BnNDIx, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of 'Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine Starters, of whichl the following is a speciication.

. My invention has 'relation to engine -starters for starting or cranking internal combustion eng1nes,and the like, and more particularly to that part of the starter known' as the drive or-transmissionv for operatively connecting between the prime mover, such as an electric motor, and a part of the engine to be started such as-the iywheel thereof with which such drive is caused to en-l gage.v The object ofl my invention is to provviole a simple and efficient form' of drive which' operates automatically' for engage'- ment and for engagement purposes and .l which embodies novel and advantageous features in construction and -mode'fofvoper- In the'drawingFigl is an elevation part-I ly in section of an engine starter embodying my invention, Figs. 2 and 3 sections on the lines 2-2 and 3 3 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 a viewsimilar to Fig. 1 `but lillustrating a modiiied form of construction.

f My invention may bev embodiedin different formsand types vof driveswithout dcparting from the /spiritotmy inventionz `For instancev while my invention is shown in connection'with fa. drive of the direct or single reduction type and also of the inboard type, it will be understood that my'inven'- v` tion is-applicable to the indirect or so-called .double reduction type and alsov to the out- Referring to" the particulary embodiment of my 'invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the` starting motor 1 is' provided with an extended armature shaft2 whose outer end is-journaled in lthe'bearing 3l Thedriving vmember which is here a pinion 4 4ismounte on the shaft 2 for longitudinal movementJ2 thereo and rotary movement therewith. In

the present instancefthe pinionisada ted" for automatic engagement with anddisengagement from a-member-of the engine. to be startedA andonthe purposes .of itsjsaid longitudinal fandv rotary movements "onfthe 'I shaft,r such pinion isf-threaded 'on thescrew threaded portion 5 of the shaft. The pinion when moved longitudinally tothe leit, Fig.

. ing actoriof the spring 9. Asa lresu 1921. serial No. 459.031

1, isadapted'fto meshwith the rteeth of the engine memberl which is here a viiywheel 8.

The pinion is normally pressed withE a yieldingpressure (while in its normal position shown in fulldines) `in a direction towards the iiywlieel teeth but the same `is restrained byan operating means which is underthe'control of the operator. The yielding means which tends t-o force the' pinion into mesh with the flywheel is acoiled spring 91 encircling' the shaft 2 and bearing at one end against the 4outer or right hand end of the pinion and at its other end against the collar which-is secured to, the shaft 2 in suitable' manner as bythe pin 11. When the pinion is in-normal position as shown in Fig. l'this spring 9 is under compression Aand tends to force the pinion into mesh with the iiywheelwhenever the restraining in-l luence, hereinafter described, is relieved, so

that the spring can expand.

` The-means for controlling the action of the spring 9 consists of an actuating rod or, plunger 12 which here extends through the dashboard 13 of anautomobile and more particularly through a hole 14 in a plate 15 which is fastened to such board. This rod l also has its bearing-in a bracketl anchored to and extending inward from the dashboard. The inner end of the rod 12 is bifurcate'd so as to providea shifting yoke 17 lterminating in inturned rollers 18 which .are

receivedwithin the circumferential grooveits outward position (shown in full lines) by said locking "means andv `eonsequentl the .spring 9 which is in compressed-con ition, is 1 revented from expanding and from shi ing 'the pinion'into mesh with theV iiy- 'wheeL -Howevenwhen the voperator operates-the rod 12 by depressing the handle'23 and the'rebvreleases it from the lock, such.`

rod wil be shifted inwardly by the exlp ldtion shown in Fig, 1, the rod 12 is held in pinion 4 will be moved automatically into mesh with the flywheel 'as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In the present instance, the rod 12 serves .the additional purpose of `actuating a switch l for the current to the starting motor and the construction herein shown is preferably so arranged that the motor will begin to rotate. and thereby start to rotate the pinion 4, Just before the latter reaches the flywheel teeth,

thereby assuring the proper meshing of the.l

pinion teeth and the flywheel teeth.

Referring to the lelectrical switclidetails,

the bracket 16 is provided with the two electiical contacts 24 which are arranged parallel to, each other and in the path of movement of a connector 25 secured to and extending upwardly from the rod 12 and adapted to have a wiping contact between the two contacts 24. These contacts are electrically connected by the wires 26--126 with the motor 1. y

Describingacycle of operation and starting with the parts in their normal position shown in Fig. 1, the operator 'depressies merely the handle 23, thereby unlocking therod 12 and permitting the spring 9'to shift the'rod inwardly and against the' stop 5 and' consequentlyto shift the pinion 4to-the "left intoniesh with the flywheelteeth. In this 'action the pinion is slightly, rotatedvz by'tl'iecoperation of its threadswth the 'screw shaft and moreover, just before the pinion reaches the flywheel teeth, the con-Y nector 25 will close the motor circuit and start the motor and its shaft into rotation,

thereby facilitating the meshing of the pinion teeth and the flywheel teeth.V The ilywheel will now be rotated and when the engine starts on its own power, the pinion will be' automatically d-emeslied by reason of the excess speed of rotation vimparted thereto by ythe flywheel, whereupon the pinion will'be moved `longitudinally to the right against vthe pressure of the spring 9. The rod 12 will likewise be shifted to the right and when such rod reaches its normal position, the locking means will operate to hold it in said position as shown in Fig. 1E

The construction shown in Fig. 4 is the sameas that of Fig. 1 with the exception of the location of the spring 27 which is here associated directly with the rod 12 instead of directly with the shaft 2. However, the general action of this niodifiedvform is the same as that above described.

yIclaim:

1. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, and adapted for automatic enga ement with'and automatic disengagement rom ja member of the engine to be started, means tending toshift the driving member into engagement with matic disengagement from a member of the engine to be started, yielding means tending to shift the driving member into engingeinent with such engine" member, said driving member beingmountcd to rotate on .the sliaft'asanincident tosuch longitudinal shifting by ,said means, and mechanism for restraining'such means. v

3. An engine starter drive including a'rotatable shaft, va driving' member mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereot and rota-ry' movement. therewitln'aiid adapted forfautoinatic engagement with and automatic disengagement. from a member of the engine to be started, a spring tending to shift the driving member into engagement ywith -sueh engine member, said driving member being mounted l-to rotate on the ,shaft as an incident to such longitudinal shifting bysaid means, and mechanismfor restraining such means.

1f h3- An engine-st @tei-drive includinga ro- 1tatable shaft a dii-*rng`-meniber mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, and adapted for' automatic engagement with and automatie disengagement rom a member of the engine to be started,an` electric motor including electrical connections and switch, said motor being operatively connected with the shaft, means tending to shift the drivingmember into engagement with the engine member,and combined mechanism 'for restraining such means and for operating such switch.

5. .An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a driving memberl mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary move-nient therewith, and-adapted for automatic engagement with and automatic disengagement from a member of the,

engine to be started, an electric motor inv cluding electrical connections and switch, saidmotor being operatively connected with the shaft, a .spring normally compressed when the driving member is in normal position and by its expansion tending to shift such member into'engagement with the engine member, and-combined mechanism for restraining the expansion action ofI such spring and for operatingsuch switch.

6. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, and adapted for automatic engagement with and automatic kdisengagement from a member of the engine to be started, an electric motor including electrical connections and switch, said motor being operatively connected with the shaft, a spring normally compressed when the driving member is in normal position and by its expansion tending to shift such member into engagement with the en-f gine member, mechanism :for restraining the expansion action of such spring and for operating such switch, and means for locking such mechanism in normal position.

7. An engine starter drive including a rotatable screw threaded shaft, a driving member threaded thereon for rotary movement therewith and for automatic longitudinal movement thereof in both directions for engagement with and disengagement from a member of the engine to be started, means tending ,to shift the driving member into engagement with such engine member, and mechanism for restraining such means.

8. An engine starter drive including a rotatable screw threaded shaft, a driving member threaded thereon for rotary movement therewith' and for automatic longitudinal movement thereof in both directions for engagement with and disengagement from a member of the engine to be started, a spring tending toy shift the driving member into engagement with the engine member, and mechanism for restraining the action of such spring.

9. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, and adapted for automatic engagement with and automatic disengagement from a member ofv the engine to be started, an'electric motor including electrical connections and switch, said motor being operatively connected with the shaft, means tending to shift the driving member into engagement with the engine member, and combined mechanism for restraining such means and for operating such switch, just prior to the engagement between the driving and engine members.

l0. An engine starter drive including a rotatable screw threaded shaft, ar driving member threaded thereon for rotary movement therewith and for automatic longitudinal movement thereof in both directions for engagement with and disengagement from a member of the engine to be started, an electrical motor including electrical connections and switch, means tending to shift the driving member into engagement with such engine member, and'mechanism for restraining such means, comprising a movable yoke cooperating with the driving member, and carrying a device for operating the switch.

11. An engine starter drive including a rotatable screw threaded shaft, a pinion threaded thereon and adapted to engage and drive a member of the engine to be started, such pinion having at one end a circumferential groove, a coiled spring acting on the pinion to urge-it towards' the engine member, and a hand controlled rod terminating `at one end in a yoke cooperating with said groove and adapted to normally restrain the movement of the pinion towards the engine member.

VINCENT BENDIX. 

